Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-07-14
THE PRESIDENT AND THE G. Ar.

HE WILL NOT 60 WEST AND HIS REASONS
President Cleveland in a letter to
Mayor Francis Withdrawing his accept
ance of an invitation to visit ST. Louis
during the Grand Army encampment.
after referring to the fact that the ae-
ceptance was dependent upon nothing
happening in the meantime to abso-
lutely prevent his leaving Washington,
goes on to say:
Expressions emanating from certain impor-
tant members of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, and increasing in volume and virulence,
constrained me to review my acceptance of the
invitation. The expressions referred to go to
the extent of declaring that would be an un-
welcome guest at the time and place of the Ma
tional Encampment. This statement is based,
as well as l can Judge, upon certain official acts
of mine, involving important public interests,
done under the restraints and obligations of my
oath, which did not appear to accord with the
wishes of some members of the q. A. K.
refuse to believe that this organization, founded
upon patriotic ideas, composed very largely OF
men entitled to lasting honor and considera-
ton, and whose crowning glory it should be
that they are American citizens as well as vet
eran soldiers, deems it part of its mission to
compass any object or purpose by attempting
to iRtimidate the Executive or coerce those
charged with making and executing the laws.
And vet the expressions to which | have refer
red indicate such a prevalence of unfriendly
feeling and such a menace to an occasion which
should be harmonious, peaceful and cordial,
that they cannot be ignored.
l should not be frank if l failed to confess,
while disclaiming all resentment, that l have
been hurt by the unworthy and wanton attacks
upon me growing out of this matter, and the
reckless manner in which my actions and mo-
tives have been misrepresented both publicly
privately, for which, however, the Grand Army
of the Republic, as body, is by no means re-
sponsible.
| Rather than abandon nv visit to the wes
and disappoint your citizens, might, if | alone
were concerned, submit to the insult to which
it is quite openly asserted l would be helpless
ly subjected if present at the encampment; bu
should bear with me there the peoples high
est office, the dignity of which | must protect
and believe that neither the Grand Army O.
the Republic as an organization nor anything
| like majority of its members would ever en-
courage any such scandalous attack upon it,
If, however, among the membership of this
body there are some, as certainly seems th'
case, determined to denounce me and my off
cial acts at the National Encanpment, l be
lieve they should be permitted to do so, unre
strained by my presence as a guest of their or
ganization, or as guest of the hospitable cit,
in which their meeting is held. Th'
time and place of the encampnent were fxet
long before my invitations were received
Those desiring to participate in IFS proceeding
should be first regarded, and nothing should b.
permitted to interfere with their intentions.
In conclusion the President says
| assure you that abandon my plan withou
the least personal feeling, except regret con
strained thereto by sense OF duty, actuated b.
a desire to save any embarrassment to the peo
pie of st. Louis or their expected guests, ant
with heart full of grateful appreciation of tn
sincere and unaffected kindness of your citi
zens. Hoping the Encampment may be an oc
casion of much usefulness, and that the pro
ceedings may illustrate the highest patriotism
of American citizenship.